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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. mark — a trace
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mark — a grade
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pound — a weight
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. drill — the tool
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. swing — music
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. drill — army training
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. swing — in golf
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com